Rotary folding mechanism for printing-presses.



ROTARY FOLDING APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1908.

Patented Sept. 29,1908.

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. J.-J. WLSBR. ROTARY FOLDING MECHANISM EOR PRINTING PRESSES.

AIPLIOATI ON FILED IAB 30, 1908.

Patnted' Sept. 29,-1908.

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r I I L- to. wasumcron u r- A J. J. wALsER. ROTARY FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRIJSSES. I I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1908. I 899,771 Patented Sept. 29, 190 4 sums-sun 3.

1 i 2f 5/ i i I i x 11% I I HL a 1TH I I I I l I I IL 1/ l I I l l I I I l ll /A// /A W w J. J. WALSER. ROTARY FOLDING MEGHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR; 30, 1908.

Patnted Sept. 29, 1908.

4 SHEETk-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. WALSER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GO SS PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ROTARY FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

5 Application filed March 30, 1908. Serial No. 424,176.

.Illino1s, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Folding Mechanism for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a speclficatiomreference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary folding mechanism for printing presses and particularly to improvements in the mechanism shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 870,694, to Hans P. Husby, granted November 12, 1907, in which the folding blade in a rotary carrier is operated from normal position into operative position and out of operative position into normal position by two moving guides which, While traveling in the same direction with the folding blade, successively act upon'it to move it into and out of operative position; and its object is to provide new and improved mechanism by which the folding blade may be operated without any blow or violent contactofparts, thereby increasing the speed at which"'the blade may be operated.

'In the accompanying drawings-,Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is. an end view,

' being a section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3

is an end view of the same section as Fig. 1, showing the folding blades and operating parts in other position; Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is anenlarged detail, being an isometric view of the grooved disk for causing part of the operation of the folding-blade; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, being an isometrlc view of the tumblinglever at the right-hand side of the machine in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings,7 indicates a rotary carrier of any well-known form and description, which is mounted upon the shaft 8 which is'journaled in any suitable framework, as 9. The framework 9 is shown only conventionally and in dotted lines in Figs. 2and 3, as its construction is well understood, and in order to prevent obscuring the drawings showing the essential features of my invention. 1

10 indicates the usual rollers, which are j ournaled below the rotary carrier 7 in suitable portions of the framework and in any well-known and usual manner and which are driven and operate in the.well-known and usual manner. The rotary carrier 7 is preferably also used as a cutting cylinder and is provided with cutting grooves 11 which cooperate with the knife 12 on the cooperating cutting cylinder 13 in the usual manner.

14 indicates pins, which are adapted to engage the lead end of the web in the usual and well-known manner. They are there fore illustrated only conventionally in the drawings.

15 indicates folding-blades which are secured to suitable shafts 16 journaled in suitable bearings 16 in the folding cylinder. I 17-18 indicatetumbling-levers, which are secured one at each end of the folding blade shafts 16. As is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the ends of the tumbling-lever 17 are pro vided with recesses 19, one at each end of the tumbling-lever, adapted to receive the studs 7 or rollers hereinafter described.

20 indicates a circular guide located exterior to the rotary'carrier 7, upon the interior surface of which the tumbling-lever 17 is adapted to bear as the rotary carrier rotates in order to retain the tumbling-levers and the folding-blades in their normal position while not being operated to fold the paper the normal position in the form of my device shown being with the tumbling-levers and the folding-blades at right angles to the diameter of the rotary carrier passing through the shafts 16. The tumbling-lever 18 is provided upon its exterior surface with two studs 21 preferably in the form of rollers'journaled on suitable pins 22 on the tumbling-lever 18.

23 indicates a circular guide, upon the interior surface of which the rollers 21 are adapted to bear while the carrier rotates in order to retain the tumbling-levers and folding-blades in normal position when not operating to fold the paper.

v24 indicates a gear, which is keyed, or otherwise secured, to the shaft 8 of the rotary carrier.

25 indicates a gear, which is journaled upon a stud 26 suitably mounted in the framework 9. The gear 25 meshes with the gear 24, and the two gears 24-25 are in a twoto one relation to each other, whereby the gear 25 will rotate twice for each revolution of the rotary carrier.

27 indicates a stud preferably in the form of a roller, which is integral with or secured to the inner surface of the gear 25 and is adapted to engage the notch 19 at the lead end of the tumblinglever 18 in the manner hereinafter described.

The guides 20 and 23 are not complete circles but are cut away near the bottom of the folding cylinder to permit the operation of the folding-blade and its operating parts, and the openings near the bottom of the guides 20 and 23 are staggered with relation to each other, as is shown in solid and dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, and as is shown also in Fig. 4, which as compared with Fig. 3 shows in solid lines the relative positions of the openings, The object of staggering these openings is to afford a proper bearing at one end or the other of the machine for the tumbling-levers to prevent the foldingblade being accidentally turned from its normal position before the proper time comes.

28 indicates a gear, which is keyed, or otherwise secured, to the shaft 8 exterior to the rotary carrier and at the opposite end from the gear 24.

29 indicates a gear, which is journaled upon a stud 30 mounted in a suitable portion of the framework 9.

1 31 indicates a disk, which is either formed integral with or secured to the inner surface of the gear 29.

32 indicates a hub on the inner surface of the disk 31.

33 indicates a curved flange, which extends outward from the inner surface of the disk 31 perpendicular thereto. The inner surface of the flange 33 is concentric with the outer surface of the hub 32, forming a curved groove 34 within which the lead roller 21 on the tumbling-lever 18 is received, as hereinafter described.

The gears 28 and 29 are to each other. preferably as six to one, whereby the gear 29 will make six revolutions for each revolution of the gear 28 and for each revolution of the rotary carrier. The axial lines of the studs 26 and 30 upon which the gears 25 and 29 rotate are a little above the axial lines of the folding rollers 10 and are located one at one side and the otherat the other side of the central vertical longitudinal plane of the machine. The rotary carrier preferably rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows on the various figures, and the gear 25 and disk 31 also rotate in the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. 2that is to say, they rotate in the same direction with each other and in the opposite direction of rotation to that of the rotary carrier.

The parts are so positioned, adjusted and timed that the operation is as follows: As the carrier rotates the tumbling-levers and the folding knives in normal position are carried around in the rotary guides and held in normal inoperative position thereby until the time comes for the knife to be operated. Just before the parts have reached the posi- -tion shown in Fig. 2 the stud 27 on the gear 25 has come into position to be engaged by the recess 19 on the lead end of the tumblinglever 17 and at the next moment as the rotation proceeds the engagement is made, as is shown in Fig. 2. As the rotation continues, the recess on the lead end of the tumblinglever 17 being engaged by the stud 27 on the gear 25 while traveling in the same direction, with the tumbling-lever, the bearing of the tumbling-lever upon the stud as the parts rotate will cause the tumbling-lever to be rocked into the position shown in Fig. 3 and the folding-blade thus moved into folding posit-ion, tucking the paper between the fold rollers 10. The engagement between the stud 27 and the lead end of the tumblinglever 17 is effected while the tumbling-lever is in normal position and as the movement is effected by the cooperation between the lead end of the tumbling-lever 17 and the stud 27, while they are traveling in the same direction, the tumbling lever and with it the knife will be moved out of normal into folding position smoothly and without any blow or violent contact of parts. At the next instant, as the rotation continues the stud 27 will leave the lead end of the tumbling-lever 17. At this moment the parts upon the other end of the machine have come into the position shown in Fig. 4t,-that is to say, with the lead end of the flange in such position that the roller 21 on what has up to. this time been the lead end of the tumbling-lever 18 upon the opposite side of the carrier is engaged in the groove 34. between the inner surface of the flange 33 and the outer surface of the hub 32 on the disk 31. As the gear 29 is one to six, as above stated, with the gear 28 and the flange 33 is exterior to the outer surface of the gear 29-that is to say, further from the center of rotation-the flange 33 will travel at considerably greater surface speed than the surface speed of the carrier. As this move ment continues, therefore, the roller 21, on what has up to this time been the lead end of the tumbling lever 18, will engage the groove 3%, as above described, and the tumbling-lever will be moved out of folding position back into normal position, the engaging roller passing completely through the groove 34. The length of the flange 33 is so proportioned to the diameter of the disk 31 and to its speed that when the tuinblii'lglever 18 by the combined action of the groove and stud is turned again into normal position the rear end of the groove will become disengaged from the roller 21, as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4e, and the tumbling lever 18, and with it, of course, the tu1nblinglever 17, will be delivered to the guides 20 ;and 23 in normal position ready for the next operation. Inasmuch as the roller 21 has been engaged by the slot or groove on the disk 31 when in folding position, and the folding-blade has been rocked out of folding position into normal position, while the parts are traveling in the same direction, it is obvious that the tumbling-lever will be thus moved without any blow or violent contact of parts, and entering the guides in normal position will be received thereby without blow or violent contact of parts, thus greatly increasing the speed. possibilities of.

the machine.

As I have shown my device with the rotary carrier equipped with two folding-blades each provided with its appropriate tumbling-levers and diametrically opposite each other the folding knives will be alternately operated in the manner above described. It will, of course, be understood that in actual operation a web of paper is delivered from printing press or other mechanism to the rotary carrier to be folded. As this web and its delivery is 'well understood and of itself forms no part of my present invention, the method of delivery to the rotary carrier and folding mechanism are not shown in order not to complicate the drawings with unnecessary parts.

In describing the'operation of my above folding mechanism I have described it as rotating in the direction indicated by the 'arrows. It will be obvious, however, without further explanation that the parts might be operated in the other direction, the position of the cutting cylinder being suitably changed, and the operation would be the same, except that the folding-blade would be moved into folding position by the grooved guide operating upon the studs on the folding roller at the further end of the machine and moved out of folding position back into normal position by the operation of the stud on the gear at the near end of the machine engaging the recessed tumbling-lever.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. The combination with a rotary carrier, a shaft journaled therein, a folding-blade on said shaft, a tumbling-lever at one end of said shaft, recessed at its ends, and a tumbling-lever on the other end of said shaft provided with engaging studs, of a rotary member provided with a stud adapted to engage said recessed tumbling-lever, a rotary member provided with a groove adapted to engage one of the studs on the other tumbling-lever, and means for rotating said rotary members, whereby said rotary members may successively engage said tumbling-levers while traveling in the same direction therewith and, while traveling in the same direction therewith, successively move said tumbling-levers from normal into folding studs on the other tumbling-lever, means for rotating said rotary members, whereby said rotary members may successively engage said tumbling-levers while traveling in the same direction therewith and, while travel-' ing in the same direction therewith, successively move said tumbling-levers from normal into foldingposition and from folding position into normal position, and circular guides adapted to engage said tumbling-levers and. maintain the same in normal inoperative position while said folding-blade is not being operated.

3. The combination with a rotary carrier, a shaft journaled in said rotary carrier and a folding blade secured to said shaft, of a tumbling-lever secured to one end of said shaft and recessed at. its ends, a rotary member provided with a stud adapted to engage the recess in the lead end of said tumblinglever while in normal position and, while traveling in the same direction therewith while engaged with said recess, to move said folding-blade into folding position, a tumbling-lever at the opposite end of said foldingblade shaft provided with studs at its ends, a rotating member provided with a curved groove adapted to engage the' stud on the lead end of said second tumbling-lever when in foldingposition' and, while traveling in the same direction therewith while engaged with said stud, to move said tumbling-lever out of folding position and into normal position.

. JOSEPH J. WALSER. Witnesses:

W. T. Goss, LILLIAN' M. CAGNEY. 

